misericord

Relaxation of monastic rules.

The room in a monastery for monks granted such relaxation.

A ledge, sometimes ornately carved, attached to a folding church seat to provide support for a person standing for long periods; a subsellium.

1969, M. D. Anderson, The Iconography of British Misericords, G. L. Remnant, A Catalogue of Misericords in Great Britain, page xxiii, Misericords are a very humble form of medieval art and it is unlikely that the most distinguished carvers of any period were employed in making them, except, perhaps, during their apprentice years.

A misericord - a hinged projection on the underside of a choir seat - dates from about 1200 and is possibly the oldest in England.

A medieval dagger, used for the mercy stroke to a wounded foe.

The word misericordia implies an act of mercy but despite its amiable name, it refers to coercing or forcing a spirit to pass through the Gates of Death. In the age of medieval chivalry, knights carried a dagger called the misericorde that was used to strike the coup de grâce upon mortally wounded foes so that they did not have to suffer. The term “misericordia” carries a similar import in necromancy.